MONDAY July 27, 2026
A Lack of Prayer
Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:2-3
James revealed another key element in the lives of believers that had caused strife to thrive among them. It was a lack of sincere prayer. As a leader in the Church, and a man of sincere prayer himself, he had to further rebuke them. They were either not praying or, when they did, their prayers had selfish motives.
It is important to examine the motivation of our prayers. Why not pray to have the mind and heart of God? Our lives need to be aligned with His will and not our own will. We should depend on God. Every day, we need to pray for His wisdom and knowledge. Listen, it is His strength, grace, and mercy that we need. We must never trust in ourselves, that is self-confidence. There is nothing quite like seeing our prayers answered in a miraculous way. Prayer works! God rewards those who seek Him. He blesses them!
Prayer is vitality important. It is like oxygen to our lungs, and we cannot survive without it. I believe with all my heart that every Christian needs to cultivate a personal devotional life with God. Every day we need to get up early, do our devotions and pray. Otherwise, we will find ourselves easily ensnared in our trials and temptations, all because we failed to pray.
Honestly, I believe people survive each day by getting a cup of coffee than by daily prayer––think about that!
To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.
~Karl Barth~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
